Our lives often involve long hours of sitting down, putting a lot of pressure on our lower backs. If you want to relax your back after a long day or feel tightness in your back, try this short workout. You can do it at the end of the day as you wind down for bed or just whenever you feel your lower back needs some TLC.
Tag: stretching
Should you stretch tight hamstrings?
If you have tight hamstrings and are experiencing lower back pain as a result of hamstring attachment issues, you may be tempted to stretch your hamstrings out in yoga. Because going into a deep forward fold and just pulling and pulling on the tight muscle should help it relax, right? Actually, no.
Our muscles are elastic, and they stretch and bend. But if you have an elastic band that is attached on either side to something rigid and is constantly being pulled in tension, increasing that tension by pulling isn’t going to help. Likely that elastic band will snap or will permanently lose its elasticity. Our hamstrings will not snap, but they can certainly get injured more severely if we overload them when they are already sore.
What we need to do instead, is work on strengthening the hamstrings without overstretching them. Slowly retrain them to get stronger and more supple. Bring more blood circulation into them by warming them up. Increase active range of motion of the hips and lower back. Once your hamstrings are more conditioned, then work on gentle stretches. Remember, there is no award for the best forward fold in yoga class.
Your back and hamstrings will thank you for your patience!
